The Veteran's cause of death is granted as his soft tissue sarcoma, a disease presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during service in Thailand, was caused by a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: Service connection for the cause of death is established based on presumptive service connection due to herbicide exposure during active duty at U-Tapao Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand.
- Claimed conditions
- Soft tissue sarcoma
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20030544
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20030544.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is granted. The appeal for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and hernia/soft tissue sarcoma is remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been reopened, and the Board finds that new evidence supports reopening of this claim. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for soft tissue sarcoma as there is no current diagnosis or evidence of herbicide exposure.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI, heart disorder, skin disorder, and gastrointestinal disorder are remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development and needs to consider whether the Veteran's gastrointestinal cancer and/or soft tissue sarcoma are related to his service, including exposure to herbicides. The claim will be reconsidered based on new evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran died of respiratory failure caused by pharyngeal cancer or a soft tissue sarcoma that was related to his exposure to Agent Orange. The appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining VA medical records and an opinion on the cause of death.
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